1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for the production of an elastic composite material with a textile surface.
2. The Prior Art
Elastic composite materials with a textile surface are used, among other things, for the production of baby diapers, for example as tapes or as an elastic back-sheet, incontinence articles, feminine hygiene products, and the like. In these applications, the textile surface, which must be produced in cost-advantageous manner, has great importance. In this connection, the textile surface is not allowed to impair the elasticity of the film.
Composite materials composed of an elastic carrier film and a nonwoven fabric that is laminated on are known. The fabric forms a solid structure that decisively influences the stretching behavior of the composite material. Composite materials composed of an elastic carrier film and a nonwoven fabric that is laminated on must therefore be mechanically activated, by mechanical stretching, after the lamination process.
A method for the production of an elastic composite material with a textile surface is described in European Patent Application No. EP 2 177 654 A1, in which a layer of melt-blown nonwoven is produced and glued onto an elastic film without any prior consolidation. In this method, the nonwoven layer is not rolled up and unrolled, and no guidance of the nonwoven layer under tensile stress is provided. The nonwoven layer can therefore be formed with little strength and, in particular, with a low weight per surface area unit, and does not greatly hinder elastic stretching of the composite material. For this reason, the composite material does not require any subsequent mechanical activation. However, the bond strength between the fibers of the textile layer and the elastic film is not yet satisfactory. Since the work is conducted with loose fibers, to a great extent, it is not ensured that all the fibers will be sufficiently anchored in the adhesive matrix. Fibers can unintentionally come loose from the composite and be taken in by the user.